Door recorder



Au 25, 1936. I H, R C L 2,051,986

DOOR RECORDER Filed Sept. 20, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR fi egr y 1?6 00] ATTORNEYS H. R. COOL DOOR RECORDER Aug. 25, 1936.

Filed 'Sept. 20, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 176777 g fi. 500/ *MA'lTORNEYfi Aug. 25,1936. HRCOOL 2,051,986

DOOR RECORDER v a; M

TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES I 2,051,986 DOOR RECORDERHenry R. Cool, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to The .ServiceRecorder Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio ApplicationSeptember 20, 1932, Serial No. 633,962

7 Claims.

This invention relates to recording instruments for making a recordshowing the opening and closing of a door or for other similar purposes.The door, as to which it is desired to make a rec- 5- rd, may be thedoor of a building or apartment,

or the door of a receptacle such as a safe or cabinet. The invention isparticularly designed for, and it is believed to find its greatest fieldof usefulness in, the application to the doors of stores,

10,- factories, and the like, where it is desired to keep a recordshowing when the door was first opened in the morning, when closed atnight, and whether opened at any time outside of the usual hours ofbusiness. 'In this way information may be obtained as to the time ofarrival and departure of employees, and whether the door has been openedat unauthorized times. In some instances other useful information may beobtained, as for instance, how often the door has been opened'during theday, at what hours the door is opened most frequently, etc.

. The principal object of the invention is to provide a device for thepurposes described, which shall be simple and positive in operation,which shall make a record which can be easily read, in which the recordchart can be quickly changed by an unskilled person, and which shall becompact and relatively inexpensive. Another object of the invention isto provide a device which may be-readily applied to a door withoutrequiring any extensive alteration thereof, and with theuse of only thesimplest tools. Other objects of the invention will appear in the courseof the following description of one specific embodiment of the inventionchosen to illustrate the principles thereof.

In the accompanying drawings which'form a part of this specification andwhich illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a face view of the back part of the instrument which isattached to the door or other surface, a portion of the front part ofthe instrument being shown open;

Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the instrument closed;

Figure 3 is a face view on an enlarged scale showing the stylusoperating devices and showing the stylus feed cam in section;

Figure 4 is a view looking into the inside of the front or cover half ofthe instrument showing a recording chart and also showing a portion ofthe back part of the instrument;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the instrument;

III

PATENT OFFIQE Figure 6 is a detail section taken on line 6-4 of Figure3;

Figure 7 is a detail section taken on line 1-! of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view in horizon- 5 tal section of a portionof a door and its frame showing a preferred form of actuating device forthe instrument.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the particular form of instrumentillustrated comprises 10 a casing which has a back or base portion I0and a front or cover portion ll hinged to the back portion by the hinge12. A look i3 is preferably provided for locking the casing closed. Theback ID of the casing is secured to a door or 15 other support in anysuitable manner, as by means of screws l4 (Figs. 5 an-d8) passingthrough holes I5 in the back (Figs. 1 and 2). Mounted in the casing andin the form of instrument shown attached to the cover portion thereof isa clock mechanism 20 on the arbor of which is mounted a table 2! adaptedto carry a chart 22. The table 2| has a central boss 23 which passesthrough a hole in the center of the chart, and means such as the springactuated hinged fingers 24 are pro- .2 vided for retaining the chartupon the table. The table is illustrated as of the outline shown indotted lines in Figure 4, so that it may be used as the means forwinding the clock. It will be understood, however, that any suitableform of 1 clock mechanism and chart carrying means may be employed. Inthe embodiment of the ,.inven tion illustrated, the casing is shownnarrower than the diameter of the chart, so that the edges of the chartare curved over. The inner side walls of the casing section I0 are madevery smooth so that the turned-over edges of the chart can be rotatedslowly in contact therewith without injury to the chart surface. In thisway a very compact casing may be utilized and still the chart may be ofsufiicient diameter to be easily read. The chart is preferably providedwith suitable scale divisions as indicated at 25. The side walls 26 ofthe cover portion H of the casing are cut away as indicated at'2'! so asnot to interfere with the turned-over edges of the chart. As the charttable is carried by the cover portion of the casing the chart can beapplied flat thereto and then upon simply closing the casing, the edgesof the chart will slide between the I smooth walls of the casing section[0 and will be curved over in the form shown without any specialmanipulation on the part of the operator.

Mounted behind the flat middle portion of the chart near the marginthereof is a small spring supported platen which supports the chartbeneath the point where it is engaged by the marking stylus to bedescribed, as illustrated in Figure 2. The platen 39 has a stem 3ipassing through holes in the supporting bracket 32, a spring 33 thechart table, and the casing is closed as shown in Figure 2, it will beseen that the margin of the chart passes between the guide plate 35 andthe The chart and stylus may be of any platen 3i]. suitable character,but I prefer to use a wax coated chart which is adapted to have the waxthereon removed to make a record by means of a stylus having a hardmetallic point. of chart and stylus are very satisfactory in use and itis unnecessary to provide inking devices or other marking means likelyto give trouble. By making the inner walls of the casing where thebent-over edges of the chart travel very smooth, no injury to the waxedsurface of the chart will be caused by such contact. It is to be notedthat the stylus acts on the unbent portion of the chart as it passesover the platen 39 and not upon the bent-over portions thereof.

The base or back of the casing carries the stylus and operating devicetherefor. As illustrated,

the stylus comprises a pointed metallic member 58 which is carried bythe stylus carrying yoke or rocker ll. The stylus may be attached tothis yoke in any suitable manner. As illustrated it has a screw threadedstem 42 which passes through a hole in the yoke and screws into a hole anut d3 which has 2. lug 44 projecting through a hole 45 in a lever 55forming an extension of the yoke so as to hold the nut against rotation.The yoke is pivoted upon the pivot 55 mounted in ears 5i on the end of acarrier plate 52. A spring 53 is arranged. to hold the yoke and stylusin a normal position substantially at right angles to the back. of thecasing. The stylus yoke and stylus may be rocked about the pivot bymeans of the lever 55, this lever having a V-shaped arm 55 which ridesupon the up-turned edge 5'! of the stylus-operating slide 58. The edge51 is provided with a cam notch 59 and when the slide is moved so thatthe cam notch is under the V- shaped arm 56, the arm is pushed to thebottom of the notch by the spring 53 and the stylus will occupy aposition substantially at right angles to the back of the casing. If theslide is moved to one side or the other, the walls of the cam notch willforce the V-shaped arm out of the notch, thereby rocking the stylusslightly to one side as shown in Figure 6. As the record chart is beingslowly rotated by the clock mechanism, the stylus, as long as it is in agiven position, will draw a substantially circular line on the chart.When it is rocked by movement of the slide, as described, it will make ajog in the line on the chart, as indicated at 60 (Figure 4).. The slideplate 56 is provided with slots through which pass pins 66 mounted inthe carrier plate 52. The slide 58 is actuated by means of a driving pin75, the end of which works in a slot II in the slide. The pin ill passesthrough a large opening I2 in the carrier plate 52, through a slot I3 inthe back plate It to be described, and through a slot in the rear wallof the casing to the exterior thereof, where it is connected to suitabledevices for operating the instrument.

This type The mechanism described is suificient for the purpose ofmaking a circular record on a chart which will be completed at onerevolution of the chart. In order to avoid frequent changing of thechart, however, it is desirable to make a record thereon having theduration of several complete rotations of the chart. To accomplish this,mechanism is provided for displacing the chart and stylus with referenceto one another every time the chart makes a complete revolution, so thatinstead of a closed circular record being produced, a spiral record isformed, as indicated bythe line in Figure a. On the diiferentconvolutions of this spiral the record indications fill will appear atintervals, the record indications on oneconvolution being distinct fromthose on the other convolutions, so that the hour and date of eachrecord marking will be apparent.

In order to produce the spiral form of record described, I preferablyemploy the means shown in which thestylus, stylus carrier and slide 58are all mounted upon a movable carrier plate 52 which is arranged to befed gradually in a direction radial to the chart by means driven fromthe clock mechanism. The carrier plate 52 is provided with slots 83which slide upon pins 84 carried by a back plate'85 which is fixed tothe back of the casing in any suitable manner, as by screws 85 (Figure3). The carrier plate 52 has a large central slot therein which has anextension portion 9I, a portion of the wall of which is bent up andprovided with teeth so as to form a rack 93. Mounted in the back of thecasing is a stud which extends forward through the slotflll and ispreferably coaxial with the arbor of the clock mechanism which carriesthe chart table. Mounted on the stud 95 is a bushing 96 to which isfixed a disc 9?. The bushing 96 may be secured to the stud in anysuitable manner, for instance by means of a small spring 98 adapted tosnap into the groove 99 in' the stud (Figure 2). Fixed to the back ofthe disc 91 is a scroll I0!) arranged to engage successive teeth'of therack 93. For rotating the disc and scroll, means are provided forestablishinga connection with the clock mechanism. In the constructionshown such means consist of a series of pins I85 mounted in openings inthe disc and adapted to be yieldingly projected from such openings bymeans of springs I 06. The pins I 65 are spaced far enough apart so thatadjacent pairs of pins can just receive between them one of the springarms 24 of the chart clamping means. When the instrument casing isopened it will be seen that the cover holding the clock mechanism, charttable and chart clamping arms will swing away from the back :of thecasing carrying the stylus actuating mechanism including the discs! andpins I05. When the casing is closed again there will be no interferenceto such closing by the pins I05 because, if the arms 24 are not inalignment with the spaces between such pins, the pins will be pressedback until the arms 24, which are being continually rotated by the clockmechanism, have moved into alignment with the spaces between two pairsof pins, whereupon the pins will spring out and engage the arms.Thereafter the disc 91 and scroll I00 will be rotated in unison with thechart and for each revolution of the chart the scroll I00 will move therack 93 a distance of one tooth and will thereby move the carrier plate52 and stylus for a corresponding distance, so that a spiral record willbe produced upon the chart as described. f

For actuating the driving pins 10 which moves thestylus so as to :makethe record, suitable means may be employed depending upon the particularapplication of the instrument. In Figure 8 I have shown a preferredmeans for actuating this pin applicable to an ordinary doorconstruction. As shown in this figure, the back of the instrument casingIII is secured to the face of a door HI near-the edge of thedoorattached to the door hinge l H. I I2 represents the door jamb.Aho'le H5 is made in the door parallel to the heathenof, preferably sucha vhole as may be bored with an ordinary auger. Before the instrument.is attached to the door a slot or hole H5 is cut in the face of thedoor into the hole 5. Fitting in the hole H 5 is a tube H1 .in theends-of which are fitted bushings H8 and l I19, the latterpreferably'having a flange I extending beyond the edge of the tube Illand against theface of the inner edge of the door. Mounted to slide :inthe bushings H8 and H9 is a plunger rod J the end of which projectsbeyond the bushing H9 as indicated at 126. Mounted on the plunger rodinside of the tube H1 is a collar I21 which is slidable inside of thesleeve in. .Mountedon the plunger rod I25 between the end of this collarand the bushing I I8 is a spring 128 which normally urges the plungerout in a direction to project it at I26 beyond the bushing M9.:Rlotatably mounted on the opposite end of the plunger is a plunger headI30 which has a screw threaded hole therein into which screws thethreaded end l3l of the driving pin 10. By mounting-the head In on theend of the plunger rod so that it will rotate freely, the pin 10 isallowed to center itself 'properly in the slots through which it passeswithout danger of binding. Also the operating mechanism of theinstrument cannot be injured by 'any one attempting to tamper with thedevice by rotating the projecting end I26 of the rod.

In mounting the instrument ona door the holes are bored in the door asdescribed and the sleeve and plunger inserted and the pin 10 screwedinto the plunger head. The instrument is then screwed on the door overthe hole H6, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, the pin 10 passingthrough the slots described. When the instrument casing is locked, itwill be seen that the end of the driving pin 10 and heads of the screwsH are inside of the casing so that the casing cannot be removed, nor theoperating means for the instrument tampered with. When the door isclosed the projecting end I25 of the plunger rod is pushed in by contactwith the door jamb, and the driving pin 10 is moved along the slot H6 soas to push the slide 58 and thereby rock the stylus, as described, bycausing the V-shaped arm 56 to ride out of the notch 59 on to thesurface 51. Upon opening the door the spring I38 again projects the endof the plunger rod and the spring 53 returns the stylus to its initialposition. The device can be readily applied to doors hinged either onthe left, as shown in Figure 8, or upon the right. In the case of a doorhinged on the right side, the pin 10 will move the slide 58 in theopposite direction from that illustrated, in which event the arm 56 willride out of the groove 59 upon the surface 51 at the right hand side ofthe notch, instead of upon the left hand side, as shown in Figure 7.

A feature of the invention in its preferred form as illustrated hereinis that the instrument is mounted on the door near the hinged edgethereof. This has decided advantages over mounting an instrument nearthe free edge of the door, as in the former position the instrument doesnot travel as :far or at such high speed and therefore is not subject toshocks and jars of such magnitude as in the case of an instrumentmounted in the latter position. Every time the door closes or is slammedan instrument mounted near the outer edge of the door is in danger ofbeing injured, whereas with my preferred construction this is not thecase. It is also an advantage to have theoperating mechanism for theinstrument extend through the hinged edge of the door where it will beactuated by gentle pressure rather than by a sharp blow as would be thecaseif it was upon the free edge of the door. Furthermore, the actuatingdevice at the hinged edge of the door is out of the way and less likelyto he tampered with. While I have illustrated and described in detailone preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that changesmay be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. Theform of instrument illustrated may be utilized for making a record ofthe movements of other devices than a. door, or wherever it is desiredto record any lateral or cam motion ofa part adapted to actuate themechanism. 1 do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the specificconstruction illustrated, but intend to cover my invention broadly inwhatever form'its principle may be utilized.

I :claim:

1. In a tamper-proof means for recording the opening and closing ofdoors or the like, the combination with .a hinged door, of a recordinginstrument mounted thereon, and means for actuating said instrument tomake a record including a sleeve mounted in a recess in the hinged edgeof the door, a plunger of fixed length mounted to reciprocate in saidsleeve, spring means acting to project a portion of said plunger beyondthe hinged edge of the door when the door is open, and an operativeconnection between a part of the plunger inside of said recess in thedoor and the record making mechanism of the instrument, said operativeconnection including a head rotatably mounted on the end of the plunger,and a driving pin carried by said head and ex tending through a slot inthe door into the instrument.

2. In an instrument for recording the opening and closing of a door orthe like, including a casing, and means in the casing for supporting andmoving a record surface, in combination, a stylus mounted in said casingin position to mark on the record surface and pivoted to swing about anaxis parallel to the record surface, a stylus actuating slide mounted tomove in a. plane substantially parallel to said surface, said slidehaving a cam notch therein, a lever operatively connected with saidstylus and having a portion adapted to ride into and out of said camnotch so as to swing said stylus about its pivotal axis, and means forreciprocating said slide.

3. In an instrument for recording the opening and closing of a door orthe like, including 2, casing having a back, and a rotary chart carryingtable, in combination a carrier plate mounted to reciprocate on saidback, a stylus rocker pivotally mounted on said carrier plate, a stylusmounted on said rocker, a lever projecting from said rocker, a slidemounted on said carrier plate to reciprocate in a direction transverselyof the direction of reciprocation of said carrier plate, cam means onsaid slide adapted to engage said lever so as to rocksaid rocker aboutits pivot, and

means for driving saidstylus carrier plate parallel tothe'face of thechart table.

4. In an'instrument of the character described, including a casinghaving back and front portions, a rotarychart carrying table'mounted onthe front part of the casing, andmeans for clamping a chart onsaid tablein position to be marked, in combination, a carrier plate mounted in theback portion of the casing and movable in a plane parallel to the backof the casing, said carrier plate having a rack thereon, a stylus rockerpivoted to said plate, a stylus :carried by said rocker, means forrocking said rocker, ,a 1'0 tary member carried by the back of thecasing adapted tobe driven by said chart clamping means, and a scrollcarried bysaid rotary member meshing with the teeth of said rack so asto feed said carrier plate, rocker and stylus inv a direction parallelto the'face of a chart'carried by said chart table. I 1 r 5. In aninstrument of the character, described, a casing of lesswidth thanlength having a front and back and parallel side walls, a constantly r0-tating chart carrying table mounted in the casing saidtable beingdisposed between the side walls and being substantially spaced from saidwalls to provide clearance and means for clamping on said table a chartof greater diameter than the distance between the parallel side wallsbut of less diameter than the length of the casing, whereby the marginsof said chart are bent over at either side of said table in passingtheiside walls, and means for making a record upon an unbent portion-fthe margin of the chart between said bent-over portions of the margin.

6. In an instrument of the character described, a casing of less widththan length having a back portion provided with parallel side wallshaving smooth inner surfaces and having a front portion movably mountedwith respect to said back portion, a constantly rotating table'mountedon the front portion-of the casing for carrying a chart of greaterdiameter than the distance between the side walls of the back portion ofthe casing, said table being disposed between the side walls to provideclearance, a platen mounted in one end of the front portion of thecasing behind the marginal portion of the chart outside the bounds ofthe table, and between the'planes of the side walls of the back portionof the casing, chart guiding means carried by the back portion ofthecasing and adapted to engage the face of the chart adjacent to saidplaten and hold the same in contact therewith. when the casing isclosed; and a stylus carried by the'backporti'on of the casing and.adapted to engage the face of the chart over said platen. r 7.'Inatampereproof means for recording'the opening and closing of doors or thelike, the combination with 'a'hinged door, of a plunger or fixed lengthmounted in a recess in the hinged edge of the door and having a portionprojecting from the hinged edge of the door when the door is open, saidprojecting portion being adapted to be pushed into the recess of thedoor by contact with the face of the door jamb when the door is closed,there being a slot formed in the side of the door communicating with therecess in which the plunger reciprocates, and arecording instrumenthaving a casing comprising front and back parts, means forattaching'theba'ck of the casing to the door over'the slot in'the sidethereof, said casing back having an opening therein registering withsaid slot, an inaccessible pin carried by said plunger projectingthrough said slotand opening in the back of said casing into theinterior of the casing, a stylus movably carried by the back part of thecasing, and an actuating de- HENRY R. 0001,.

